04 Dec Take action – Be the boss of your own style

Recently I shared my 3 top tips for being the boss of your own style for Soar Collective, an online magazine and professional network for women. Their focus is on building an engaged and supportive community of businesswomen who by sharing their successes and failures, can learn and empower each other.

Our style of clothing is a layer of language that we wear. How we feel in our clothes can impact the way we perform at work, interact with others and respond to all that our day throws at us.

Every morning you wake up, open your wardrobe and decide what to wear for your day ahead. About 80% of my clients struggle to make decisions in the morning about what to wear and waste time they just don’t have. It’s time to take back control and be the boss of your wardrobe.

What would happen if you gave yourself permission to wear the same looks over and over again? To me, that is what style is. Creating a wardrobe of pieces that work for you. An identity that you are recognised for. It means less overwhelm or stress in the morning and more energy to spend on new clients or million dollar decisions.

Mark Zuckerberg has a very simplistic style that has always intrigued me. We all know he wears jeans, runners and a tee every day. It’s a statement of anti-fashion but I like the theory that he has so many decisions to make daily – that he doesn’t want his clothing choice to add to his decision-making fatigue.

We don’t have the luxury of being able to get away with wearing jeans and a tee to work like Mark Zuckerburg. When you have proven yourself like him, then you get to break the rules. But we can create a simplistic, stylish and recognisable style within our own wardrobes.

The key to becoming the boss of your own wardrobe and having a streamlined work style is to determine how you want to visibly turn up each day. If you want to reflect professional, elite and well put together than spend some time thinking about what this means to you and how you can portray this through your clothing choices. This is what I call your style blueprint or profile.

Once your style profile is clear you are ready to step into your wardrobe with a fresh approach. Rather than letting your wardrobe overwhelm you, you need to take charge and get it in order.

The 3 steps to becoming the Boss of your own wardrobe

Remove any items that are not aligned with the woman in your style Blueprint. Ask yourself if you are looking professional and well put together? If you are not chances are it’s time to say goodbye to that piece in your wardrobe. You can find my 7 point wardrobe cleanse process here

Identify the gaps and replace any items that have been loyal and hard working. Where did you buy them and why were they such good investments?

Head to the shops with purpose. Have your list of key items and only focus on purchasing what you need. Do not get distracted by the shiny new trends. They will not complete your simplified work wardrobe

Some of the key items that might be on your list are :

Comfortable heels and flat loafers

A blazer or a soft jacket like a cape

A straight leg pant in black

Several soft drape blouses in prints and plains. Perfect for layering

Overcoat or trench. Go for a colour rather than black. It automatically lifts a basic outfit

A skirt or culotte

Once your minimal work wardrobe is on order then the fun begins. Add elements of your personality with statement pieces of jewellery, on-trend shoe, scarves and colours that compliment. These are opportunities to really make a statement of who you are and the way to pull complete looks together.

We are always evolving and growing. Often your wardrobe gets left behind. Make sure you take charge and get it up to speed with where you are at in your life and more importantly is where you are headed. It’s empowering to goodbye to our past and start embracing our future self. Guaranteed you will make a lasting impression if your wardrobe reflects the women that you are!